This office building in downtown Fairhope is shared by Walcott Adams Verneuille Architects, W A T E R S H E D Green Consulting, and several other firms. In 2011 the building registered its intent to be the first office in Alabama to achieve LEED certification for Existing Buildings, Operations and Maintenance, and Watershed began the process of evaluation the existing facility, operations, and occupant behavior. After a year of tracking energy and water use, and implementing free upgrades to operations, maintenance and IT protocols, energy use has been reduced by over 10% and the building has achieved Energy Star status.

Watershed was also able to secure a grant for lighting improvements through ADECA. This grant will allow relamping, fixture replacement, and improved lighting controls that are expected to double the energy efficiency of the office. HVAC improvements are slated for the spring of 2012 that should take the project to itâ€™s goal of a 30% reduction in energy use.

Gifted students at a nearby elementary school assisted Watershed in completing a Waste Stream Audit. The students calculated that while the office recycles over 76% of itâ€™s waste, that level could be increased by over 10% with some simple improvements and education of staff.

About Watershed

Watershed moment:def: reaching a place where the landscape turns in a new and different way, a defining moment, a pivotal moment, a turning point